§ Mrs. Curtis-ThomasTo ask the Secretary of State for Health how many people presenting with symptoms of(a) breast cancer and (b) colo/rectal cancer were seen by a specialist within (i) two weeks and (ii) four weeks during (A) 2000–01 and (B) 1996–97 in Sefton health authority. [158514]
§ Yvette CooperIn April 1999, we introduced the standard that patients with suspected breast cancer referred urgently by their general practitioners should be offered an appointment with a specialist within two weeks of requesting an appointment. Central monitoring of this information began in April 1999. The table gives the number of urgent breast cancer referrals seen in Sefton health authority between 1 April 2000 and 31 December 2000. Data for 1 January 2001 to 31 March 2001 will be available in June 2001.
Central monitoring on all other urgent suspected cancer referrals, including bowel cancer, began on 1 January 2001 and the first data will be available later this year.